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Name: Steve Sommerfeld
DOB: 30/10/84
Home Town: Tiaro, QLD
Currently Lives: Brisbane, QLD
Height: 6’
Weight: 80kg’s
Favourite riding location: Schuie’s insane compounds
Favourite drink: Little Creatures Pale Ale
Favourite food: Camp Oven Roasts or a Curry
Achievements:
1st Place – New Zealand Farm Jam FMX Comp – December 08
1st Place – RFDmx Underground Tour – Toowoomba 07
1st Place – FMX Nationals Pro B 07
2nd Place – FMX Nationals series 08
2nd Place – RFDmx Underground Tour – Rd3 08
3rd Place – Trick or Treat FMX Comp – 08
3rd Place – RFDmx Underground Tour – Rd 4 08
3rd Place – FMX Nationals rd 2 – 08
4th Place – Australian FMX Championships – 08
FreeriderMX Rider of the Year award 08 – 2nd Place
FMX Extra Curricular Activities:
Author of the Ultimate Guide to Freestyle book which was released November 2008.
FreeriderMX Columnist for the AM/FM Column with over 20 editions to date.
FreeriderMX Writer – Steve has written many stories on events and shows in Australia and overseas
FreeriderMX product tester and moto test-pilot. Steve is one of the main bike testers for the magazine and gives them either a Thumbs up or down
Moto Solutions – Track building, coaching, government intermediary on trail bike issues and Bike Park builders
FMX Coach – Steve began the FMX Academy in 2006 through to 2008. Rather than having promoter’s running it, Steve is now offering private coaching.
Action Sports Management and Marketing – Steve is now using his management and marketing skills to build the business side of FMX in Australia.
Steve has been riding dirt bikes since he was 4 years old on the Yamaha Pee Wee PW50. From the first day of riding which ended up being a 2 kilometre ride on the farm, Steve has been building jumps and riding natural jumps at any chance he had.
Through the younger years Steve played football but he was always watching Crusty Demon’s video’s and dreaming of being in them one day. After breaking bones on the bike, the footy field and also being run over by a truck, Steve decided that something had to give so he concentrated on dirt bikes.
Steve finished high school and moved from the farm to Brisbane to go to University. After 6 years of doing more riding than study, Steve came out with a diploma in Health Science – Remedial Therapies and also a Degree in Business majoring in Management and Marketing. In the time he was at University he realised that FMX was the real career goal when he spent 10 days in China performing at the Suzhou theme park and doing 3 shows per day.
Arriving back from China, Steve was approached by FOX racing to be one of their main riders for Australia and this was the clincher that FMX was the direction he’d take.
Steve is now known as a ‘Jack of all trades’ in Freestyle Motocross community.
In June 2006, FreeriderMX magazine approached Steve to become a columnist and look after the new column called AM/FM which is an avenue for new riders to be chosen to be interviewed and get some exposure in the FMX world. From there Steve has risen through the FRMX magazine ranks and is now called on to write stories on events around Australia and overseas, test the new products that are on the market and also test piloting the new range of bikes that FRMX can get their hands on. It’s definitely a tough job!
In November 2008 Steve’s hard work in writing the Ultimate Guide to Freestyle came to fruition with it being published through Morrison Media. The book is designed to give anyone interested in FMX the answers to jumping their bike, what gear to wear, how to get into the sport, being professional and of course how to perform some of the mind blowing tricks that the pro riders perform including the backflip.
Steve headed to New Zealand for the Farm Jam competition over Christmas and New Years 2008. This was Steve’s first international competition and also was a natural terrain comp which was to be more challenging. In the end Steve placed first which was ultimate result.
Through 2009 Steve has joined forces with Matt ‘Schuie’ Schubring to develop and build a Trail Bike Park in South East Queensland. This has been the biggest challenge yet, dealing with local councils, investors and the QLD State government but with all the set back’s encountered, it will hopefully all come off in the end. The hard work hasn’t been in vain so far, with Moto Solutions business being formed between Schuie and Steve which now acts as a track building business, FMX event organiser’s and also private FMX coaching.
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